Cover for bottle coolers



May 28, 1940. R BAKER 2,202,684

COVER FOR BOTTLE-COOLERS Filed Oct. 5, 1935 j' g- 1 615? 10 a 5 51L 6 4 12 L 13 1516 INVENTOR. fiobez'z 1 7 Bale er,

ATTORNEYJ Patented May 28, 1940 PATENT OFFICE coves FOR BOTTLE COOLERS Robert E. Baker, Muncie, Ind.,

assignor to Glascock Brothers Mfg. 00., Muncie, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana Application October 3, 1935, Serial No. 43,335

10 Claims. (Cl. 220-41) My invention relates to improvements in covers or closures for dispensing receptacles, and particularly to that type of receptacle used for refrigerating and dispensing bottled beverage 1 drinks.

- erators and inv other types of devices where it other.

is desired to have the cover or top formed in a plurality of sections adapted to slide, one over the other, for the purpose of exposing the contents of the receptacle, there has been difliculty experienced in maintaining the receptacle completely sealed and in producing a cover which is sightly. In most of these structures, one sliding section is adapted to be arranged at a dif ferent level from the other sliding section so that the section in the upper level may slide over that one in the lower level and vice versa. One objection to this type of cover is that there must be a clearance between the levels suflicient to permit a clear passage of one section over the If there isnt sufficient clearance, there will be a tendency when one section is moved to a closed position, for it to drag on the other section and move that to an open position. On the other hand, if this clearance is provided, there is always left a crack or opening which will mean, especially where the device is used for a refrigerator, an admission of an unnecessary quantity of warm air tending to melt the ice where ice'is used as a refrigerant, or tending. to decrease the efficiency of the refrigerating chamber.

Furthermore, these diflerent level sections present rather an unsightly appearance in that they are rather unbalanced.

It is one object of my invention to provide a closure structure wherein the closure sections are in the same level when closed, although one section may beslid back over the other and wherein when one section is moved to an open position, it will not tend to drag the closed section to an open position when the open section is moved to closed position.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a dispenser showing my closure member;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of one of the cover members.

In the embodiment illustrated, the dispensing l0 receptacle l, which may be of any desired construction and usually takes the form of an elongated rectangular box, is provided with suitable insulating sides and having on its interior a re ceptacle for the refrigerating medium and the l beverage bottles to be dispensed. Detailed description of this box is not deemed essential, as the box proper is of well known commercial construction.

This box I has a top rim 2 preferably formed of sheet metal and preferably taking a rectangular form to fit over the upper edges of the sides and ends of the box, having a downwardly extending flange 3 for embracing the box. The rim is provided with a center opening and sur- 25 roundingthe center opening is a shoulder 4 somewhat below the plane of the rim proper. In the structure illustrated, I provide two cover members. These members may be formed of sheet metal and are preferably formed'of a sheet metal top 5 and a sheet metal bottom 6 suitably beaded or flanged together, with the space between filled with insulating material as l. ,The

, top sheet 5 of the cover member, where it is flanged over the bottom sheet 5 provides a flat flange 8 which, when the cover is in closed position, is adapted to rest one the shoulder or lip 4. It will be noted that when the cover section is in position, this flange 8 rest is entirely upon the depressed shoulder 4 on two sides, and the end of the cover, so that on these three sides, at least, a tight joint is made between the cover section and the top.

- On the top of the cover I provide a handle for sliding the same back and forth which is preferably formed of a bar of metal preferably rectangular in cross section and bent in a U- shape, the bight of the U being turned at right angles to the legs. This arrangement permits the legs 9 to be welded or otherwise secured to 50 the top ofthe cover and form rails for a purpose .more fully hereinafter described and the bight forms a handle II] by which the cover may be manipulated.

The underside of the cover is provided with 55 a flat plate I spot welded or otherwise secured to the face of the cover and having down-turned edges to form rails l2. These rails have their fore-ends slightly flared out as at I3 and the rails I2 are just suificiently spaced apart to embrace the top rails 53 on an adjacent cover member.

Interposed between the cover members is a cross bar formed of a pair of channel members M and I5 flanged together as at Hi to form a box-like member and the top of the channel member M is provided with a pair of ears ll extending beyond the ends of the cross bar and adapted to rest on the side lips 4, being spot welded or otherwise secured to these lips. Mounted within the box-like cross bar is a pair of rollers I8 which project through slots I 5 in the top of the cross bar and above the surface of the top of the cross bar. These rollers are mounted upon a spindle 2!) being held in their spaced relation by a spacer sleeve 2 I. The spindle 20 projects through openings in the downwardly extending ears 22 of a pair of L-shaped lugs, having their horizontal legs 23 spot welded or otherwise secured to the underface of the top channel Hi. Suitable cotter pins 2 pass through openings in the end of the spindle 20 and hold the spindle against lateral displacement. These rollers l8 are so spaced that the bottom rails l2 on the underface of the cover members will embrace the pair of rollers to prevent lateral displacement of the cover member as it slides across the rollers. In order to insure the guiding of'the cover member up over the rollers, the edge of the cover member adjacent the rollers is inclined or cammed as at 25 and at the point where the cover members he adjacent the rollers, the front edge is slotted as at 26 beneath the rails 9 to accommodate the rollers.

The operation of the device is apparent. With both cover members in their closed position, when it is desired to obtain access to the compartment, by grasping the handle it and sliding the cover member in a direction to expose the contents of the container, the inclined front or edge of the cover member will ride up over the two rollers, the bottom rails l2 mbracing the rollers to prevent lateral displacement of the cover and guide the same in its opening movement. A continued movement of the cover in the opening direction will cause the same to ride on the top rails 9 of the adjacent cover and the bottom rails l2 embracing these top rails will prevent displacement of the moved cover. desired to remove either or both of the covers entirely, they may be readily lifted from the top of the container.

It is to be noted that that portion of the flange 8 adjacent the cross bar formed of the members it and i5, when the cover member is in closed position, lies on top of and in contact with the cross bar, thereby effectually sealing the compartment at this point. The slots 26 in the edges of this flange fit around the rollers so that the flange may rest on the top of the cross bar and it will also be noted that the ends of the legs 9 project over and substantially cover these slots, the ends being in close proximity to the rollers. As a result, when the cover is moved to open position, these ends 9 which are somewhat beveled on their underfaoe, will strike the rollers and guide the cover up over the rollers.

It will also be noted that when the cover is moved to its open position, the greater portion f the Weight of the cover is carried on the rollers At the same time, if it be and supported above the top of the closed cover and as a result only one edge of the open cover will ride on the rails 9 thereby materially reduc ing the amount of friction between the parts. As a result, when the cover is moved to closed position, there is a comparatively small drag on the already closed cover and as the open cover is moved to closed position, it will ride on the rollers l8, rise above the closed cover and be free to move without contact with the closed cover. Furthermore, it will be noted that the rollers 3 act, to a certain extent, as stops to prevent the closed cover from being dragged open by the movement in closing the open .cover.

to prevent the cover from being opened too far;

I claim as my invention:

1. A cover for dispensing receptacles, comprising a pair of sliding closure members normally lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, each cover member having a plurality of guide rails on the top face thereof and guide portions on the bottom face thereof, the guide portions on the bottom face being positioned to laterally interlock with the guide rails on the top face of the other member when it is moved to open position.

2. A closure for dispensing receptacles, comprising a pair of sliding closure members normally lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, each cover member having longitudinally extending parallel spaced apart guide projections its top face and parallel longitudinally extending spaced apart guide portions on its bottom face, the bottom guide portions being relatively spaced to laterally interlock with the top guide projections on the opposite member when it is moved into open position and relatively stationary means engageable by each closure member for initially elevating one end of said closure member above the other closure member.

3. A cover for dispensing receptacles, comprising a pair of sliding closure members normally lying in substantially the same horizontal.

plane, guide members on the top face of each cover member and guide members on the bottom face of each cover member, the guide members on the top face of one cover member being positioned to laterally interlock with the guide portions on the bottom face of the other cover member when one is slid relatively to the other and relatively stationary means engageable by the leading edge of each cover member for elevating said leading edge above the other cover member when one is moved relatively to the other.

4'. A closure for dispensing receptacles, comprising a pair of sliding closure members nor: mally lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, each cover member having guide members on the top face thereof and guide members on the bottom face thereof, the bottom guide portions of each cover member being positioned to laterally interlock with the top guide portions of the adjacent cover member and rollers disposed between the adjacent leading edges of the cover members and engageable by said leading edges for elevating the edge of each member above'the edge of the adjacent member.

5. A closure for dispensing receptacles, comprising a pair of sliding closure members normally lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, each cover member having longitudinally extending parallel guide members on its top face and longitudinally extending parallel guide portions on its bottom face, the guide portions on the bottom face of each member being-so positioned as to laterally interlock with the guide members on the top face of the adjacent member and guide rolls relatively stationarily disposed between the adjacent ends of said cover members and engageable by the end of each cover member for elevating the same above the top of the other cover member, the said rolls being so disposed as to laterally interlock with the guide portions on the bottom face of each cover member.

6. A cover for dispensing receptacles, including a top member having an opening therein, a plurality of cover sections for closing said opening, each resting on the side edges of said opening and normally in substantially the same plane, a cross bar interposed between the adjacent edges of the cover sections having a portion thereof in the same plane as thecover sections and contacting with the adjacent edges of the sections, guide members supported in said cross bar projecting across the planes of the cover sections and each section having an inclined portion at its leading edge engageable with said guide members to elevate said leading edge above the adjacent portions when one portion is moved relatively to the other.

7. A cover for dispensing receptacles, including a top member having an opening therein, a plurality of cover sections normally resting on the edges of said opening and normally in substantially the same plane, a cross bar extending between said cover sections and engageable with the leading edge of each cover section, members on said cross bar above the normal plane of the cover sections and inclined portions on the leading edge of each cover section engageable with said members for elevating the leading edge of each cover member above the next adjacent cover member and means'on the bottom face of each cover member laterally interlocking with said guide members.

v 8. A cover for dispensing receptacles, including a top member having an opening therein, a plurality of cover sections for said opening engaging the edges of said opening and lying normally in substantially the same plane, a cross bar interposed between adjacent cover sections, rounded projections on said cross bar extending above the plane of the cover sections, cam portions on the leading edge of each cover section engageable with said rounded projections, and each cover section being provided with a pair of lcngitudinally extending parallel laterally spaced guide rails on its top face.

,9. A closure structure comprising a rabbeted open frame, two sliding members normally seated on the rabbeted edges of said frame and substantially in the same plane, each cover member having a pair of longitudinally extending laterally spaced guide members on the bottom face of each cover member laterally interlocking with the guide members on the top face of the opposite cover member and a relatively stationary humped cam member disposed between said cover members, the leading edges of each cover member having a cammed portion engageable with the relatively stationary humped cam member to elevate said edge above the edge of the opposite member.

10. A closure structure comprising a main rabbeted open frame, two sliding cover members a normally seated on the rabbeted edges and in substantially the same plane, each having a pair of parallel longitudinally extending guide rails, the guide rails on the bottom face of each cover member being adapted to laterally interlock with the ROBERT E. BAKER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,202,68ip. May 28, 191 0.

ROBERT E. BAKER. It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column, line 24., claim 6, for the word "across" read above-'-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of July, A. D. 191m.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

